Montserrat’s disaster management stakeholders are gathering together this week for a five-day evaluation workshop.
During the knowledge-gathering sessions experts will examine the island’s emergency management programme and see if it meets international standards.
The results will provide a baseline on which local authorities can then improve their methods and procedures.
The Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA) is hosting the event, and members of the US Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) are conducting the sessions.
EMAP is an independent non-profit organisation that fosters excellence and accountability in emergency management and programmes.
It does this by establishing credible standards in a peer-reviewed accreditation process.
Throughout the week, the workshop is looking at if Montserrat’s disaster management programme meets EMAP’s standards, according to a post on DMCA’s Facebook page.
It is also looking at areas for improvement to strengthen the island’s emergency preparedness measures and response capabilities efficiently and effectively.
The examination is covering programme management, administration, finance, laws and authorities, hazard identification, risk assessment and consequence analysis.
Other topics include hazard mitigation and prevention, continuity planning and procedures, operational planning and procedures, incident management, and resource management.
Mutual aid and logistics, communications and warning, facilities, training, exercises, evaluations and corrective action, and emergency public education, will also be evaluated.
“This week’s activity is critical and timely due to an increase in catastrophic natural disasters caused by climate change,” DMCA’s post said.
Among those attending the sessions are the Montserrat Fire and Rescue Services, Customs, Montserrat Port Authority, and Royal Montserrat Defence Force.
Members of Royal Montserrat Police Service, John A Osborne Airport, various government ministries, the Public Works Department and Montserrat Red Cross, also joined.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is sponsoring the workshop, which is running from Monday, 19 February, to Friday, 23 February.
